“How to Fall Off a Cliff”

Story of the Day for Wednesday July 31, 2012

“How to Fall Off a Cliff”

It was a dark and stormy night. The man’s candle lantern blew out, and now he made his way in the inky blackness along the dirt road to the nearest farmhouse.

In the darkness he wandered off the road and stumbled over a cliff. As he fell he grabbed hold of a branch jutting out from the side of the cliff. He shouted for help, but his cries were not answered. Steadily, his arms began to weaken. When he could no longer hold on, he let out a groan, and fell . . . six inches to the bottom of the ditch.

That man was terrified as he hung from the branch. But his fear was due to lack of knowledge. Had he had known he was only six inches from the ditch he would have no trouble letting go.

That raises an intriguing question: how much of our anxiety is based on a lack of knowledge? If you think about it, just about all our anxiety is based on our lack of knowledge.

“That’s great, Uncle Marty. Unfortunately, I already know my anxiety is based on my lack of knowledge, but I can’t do anything to change it! I don’t know how the stock market is going to do next week, or how effective the chemo treatments are going to work, or whether Thelma will still like me after I accidentally ran over her cat.”

Maybe this will help. Steve Brown, in a teaching called, Walking Free, talked about those dreaded threats we all remember. His grade school teacher warned the class that, if they didn’t behave, they would be sent to the principal’s office.

The dreaded day arrived when Steve Brown could no longer be good. As he made his way to the principal’s office, he reflected on his life’s end.

When he sat before the principal, he said, “You’re having trouble, aren’t you Stephen?”

“Yeah.”

“You don’t like that teacher very much, do you?”

“Uh . . . no sir, not much.”

And then the principal said, “I don’t either.” They laughed together. And then Stephen realized that all the rumors about the principal were untrue. He wasn’t the stern authority figure that other people said he was.

The principal told Steve, “I want you to come down and meet me in my office, and I’ll get you out before the bus leaves so you can get home on time.” They became friends.

You don’t have to know God’s plan for your future in order to get rid of anxiety. All you really need to know is that your Father cares about you. And that he’s your friend.